Improved feed-regtoator for millstones



` of my apparatus, and

@met Chillin. f I

GEORGE w. OLAPPER, or MARTINSVILLE,IND1ANA,AssIeNoR To HIMsELr, THOMAS DAWSON, J OEL "M, JOHNSON, AND LA. S. GREGGS.

Leemgpaem No. 90,079, ma May 1s, 1869.

.fnvmnovnn FEED-REGULATOR Fon manen-owns.

The Schedule'refen'e'd tain these Letters Patent and malaing part of the same.

Tofall whomv tt concern:

` Be it known that I, GEORGE W. CLAPPER, of Martinsville, Morganl county, lState of Indiana," have inventeda new Improved Mode of Feeding Burrs or Millstones, and I do hereby declare that the following is` a full `and exact description of the construction and operation ofthe same, reference being'hadzto the accompanying drawings, making part of Ythis specification, in which-` Figurelrepresents a vertical longitudinal section.

Figure 2 yrepresents a top-view of the same. Oorresponding letters represent corresponding parts in the twofgures.

The nature ofl my invention"consis`ts in providing the runner, o'r upper millstone with a funnel in the centre of its eye-hole, which branches o' into two tubes, bearing on both sides of the rine or cross-bar by which the runner is revolved; The grain is thus conducted fto the vbed-stone, and equally distributed on the-space within the eye-hole, which prevents the i stones, or buxrs from' clogging,`this. being a general complaint with stones of small `diameter revolving at ahigh speed. y `i f Tc enable others skilled in the art to make and us'e my invention, Il will proceed to describe its construction and operation. C

In the eye-hole `B ofa runner, or upper ,millstone, A, representedin' part in section, I inserta funnel, or feed-tube, O, which is fastened tosaid runner, and adjusted concentrically by.a number of setscrews,or

hots, D. l

These-bolts are provided `with, wings d, or milled heads, to facilitate the Vturning of themby hand.

,The longer ends d* of said bolts are pointed, to pre-v vent their slipping against the inner surface ofthe eye- `hole. The shorter 'ends d, are provided with screwthreads, and are screwed into corresponding sockets c, on the outer surface of the funnel 0.V

rIhe perforated bottom c, rests on top of balancerine, and is provided` with ho'le c2, through which lower end of damsel passes into balance-rime.

At twc opposite places in the bottom c, there are two segmental openings, -towhich two .segmental con'- ductors E are fastened. They are vertical tubes, and

` lintersect; the inclined or conical wall of the funnel G at a. considerable4 height, thereby 'presenting a very l large space at the opening into the funnel.

` The'object of this is to give the least possible chance to the grain for stopping up the passage into said conductors. y l The conductors pass down, and bear on either side of the rine or cross-bar, so as to be steadied thereby.

When thevfnnnel is to be inserted into the eye-hole B, the set-screws-D are screwed into their respective.. isockets, as far as they will go, which vbrings their pointed ends within a circle of smaller diameter than v 'that of the eye-hole B. Now the funnel is put into the4 eye-hole, so that the conductors 'will bear on either side of the rine,or cross-bar, and the set-screwsl) are screwed back with their pointed, ends against the inner surface of the eye-hole B, until the funnel C' is found to be concentricwith. the' eye-hole and the spindle, which supports the runner, taking care that the points d enter far enough `into the substance of the runner, tr;n insure the steady position of O for a desired length o time.

Having thusrdescribed the construction of my imvproved feeding-apparatus, the operation is as follows:

The'grain is dropped, by a hopper of ordinary construction, to the bottom of thev fnnnel'G, which bottom should be somewhat higher at its centre, to make the grain-slide easily from it. 1 v'lience the conductors receive and guide it to the bed-stone, where they spread it equally while revolvf mgcurrent which is created by the centrifugal power,

causingthe air to move away from the centre of the revolving burr.

The grain lying loosely, is easily sucked in between the runner and bed-stone, by the said airfcurrent, and the grinding isperformed exactly to the same degree of perfection at every point equidistant from the centre of the burrs.

This cannot be dne ally when the grain is damp, in which case the grinding always has to be done very slowly, while I am enabled, with my improvement, to keep the runner at three hundred revolutions a minute, without danger of clogging4 lthe burrs or burning the flour, but, on the contrary, furnishing a very excellentgquality of flour. v

lfunnels, or tubes within the eye of i the runner, I know to be old, beipg shownin the patents` granted to M.- H. Ferguson, September l1, 1860, and to J. Nairn, October 6, Y1868; the devices, as shown in said cases, therefore, I do not claim, either separately or in combination; but

Patent, ,is-

' The adjustable funnel C, with its' 'conductors E E, `and perforated bottom c, when fixed within the eye of the runner A, by means of set-,screws I), all constructed and arranged to operate substantially as and for the purposes .herein'set forth.

. Y G. W. OLAPPER.

Witnesses: Y

J; `Sarowpm; BELL, J. P THEoDonn LANG.

a consequence, the grain -isat every part of its Vcircumference affected in the same degree by the airf l under all circumstances, witht out my improved feedingLapparatus, and hence the dif- Y iculty in grinding with burrs of small diameter, especi 

